Trapped in My Tower
by flystyle23.go.dolphins
Summary: Sequel to Princess of the Lab. August is back and causing more trouble for Booth and Bones! But this time something horrible is happening to August and it needs to be stopped. B/B, Hodgela, possibly August/OC. Slightly AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: IMPORTANT PLEASE READ THE WHOLE AUTHOR'S NOTE! I'm finally back! I'm soooooo sorry it took me this long to get the sequel up, but I was waiting for inspiration to write a really good story. I didn't want it to be just a whole bunch of fluff. But on that note, this story is a lot darker than the first one. It deals with abuse and stuff, so it's not going to be so much of a comedy. I might bring in another OC and have him fall in love with August or something, but I'm not sure. How about you guys vote on if you want that to happen or not. It's your choice!**

Chapter 1

Brrrrrrrrrrrriiiiinnngggg! The bell sounded and August jumped up out of her chair with the rest of the class. The school year was over! 8th grade had finally gone away! August grabbed her backpack, hurriedly said goodbye to all her friends, and sprinted all the way home, skidding through the door and promptly tripping over the door mat. It was painful.

"I'm home! I'm home! Mom, Dad, I'm home! I'll get my suitcase and then we can leave!" August yelled hurriedly. They were planning to go to England for summer break, and August was very excited. Everything was going to change. The hitting would stop, the horrible beatings she got…things would be so much better now that August was in high school. She wasn't sure how…but they would be better.

She got no response from her calls, so she ran upstairs into the office.

"Dad? Mom?" No answer. She ran into the bedroom and tried again. Still no answer. So she ran through the entire house searching for them. But August's parents were no where to be found. Stumped, August sat down on the hardwood floor and huffed. She blew her bangs out of her eyes and crossed her arms.

"This isn't funny! I want to go to England!" August kept sitting there. She tapped her foot against the floor and sighed. Picking herself up, she walked into the kitchen and dug the ice cream out of the freezer. She scooped some into the blender, added milk and chocolate syrup, and made a milkshake. She sat down at the table with her milkshake and called her mom's cell. The answering machine picked up, so August hung up. She tried her dad, and the same thing happened. She tried this several times before getting bored. Finally, she decided to call her Aunt and Uncle, but realized that she didn't have their number. So she called her cousin.

"Lance Sweets."

"Lance? It's August," August said. She stared at the door, willing her parents to walk through it so they could leave.

"Um, August, I'm in the middle of a session here. Can I call you back?" Sweets asked.

"Is it with Booth and Brennan?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Then no. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me interrupting the session."

"Ok, what do you want?"

"Where are my parents?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, they aren't here. We're supposed to go to England but they won't SHOW UP!" August was practically yelling by now.

"What? Why did you call me?"

"Because I didn't know your parents' number."

"Oh. Well, do you want it?"

"No. I guess I can just wait until they get home."

"Ok. Call me if anything happens."

"Ok. Tell Booth and Bren that I say hi."

"Ok. Bye."

"Bye." August hung up and frowned. Where were her parents? She got back up and walked over to the CD player and put in her Boys Like Girls CD. She began to dance as she waited for her parents to get home.

The door flew open and August jumped in surprise. In walked her mother and father. They smiled at her and she ran to hug them.

"Yes! England, England, England!" August jumped up and down and then ran to get her suitcase. Her mother and father locked everything up and got everything ready for the trip. 20 minutes later, they drove to the airport.

"Woo, England!" August shouted on the plane, gaining her several odd looks. Everyone sat down and got buckled. August put in her headphones as the flight attendant said her speech. August had heard it a billion times.

BBBBBBBBBBBBB

The flight was over. They had a layover in Washington D.C. for an hour, and then they'd board the flight to England. August was nearly squealing in anticipation. _Like Angela, _she thought. _Jeez, I haven't talked to them in forever! I should call Angela and Bren._ Just as she was pulling out her phone, a loud voice came over the airport speakers.

"Attention all passengers. Due to an unexpected storm, all flights will be cancelled. We apologize for this delay." _What?? They can't do that_! August thought. She ran to her parents.

"Mom, Dad, they can't do that! It's awful! It's tragic!"

"Calm down, August. You're hurting my ears." Her mom said. She gave August a quick slap. August turned away and huffed. Every single time she talked, she got the same result. "August, you're hurting my ears." "August, be quiet." "August, get out of my life, you failure!" And then a plan formed. If her mom hated her so much that she couldn't even talk, she wouldn't mind if August just left.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

"Mom, can I go to the bathroom?" August whispered. They were sitting in chairs over by the gate, and their bags were lying on the floor nearby, waiting to be put in the belly of the aircraft. Unfortunately, only one carry-on was allowed.

"Jeez, August! Be quieter. You're always yelling!"

"I'm whispering!"

"Well, whisper quieter!"

"Can I go to the bathroom, please?" August mouthed.

"Fine, but be quiet!" August rolled her eyes and walked off. She would need her bag, so she walked over to the baggage line and grabbed her bag. She was stopped by an airport employee.

"What are you doing?" The employee questioned.

"I need my bag." August said in a very "duh" tone.

"Why?"

"Ummmm, well, I don't know how to say this…" _Think, August, THINK!! What's a believable lie? _"Well, my mom's on her period and she needs her pads, but she forgot to put them in her carry-on. I'm sorry. Can I just take this?"

"Oh, yeah," stuttered the employee. He looked very embarrassed by the conversation. August smiled a very fake smile. "Thanks." She smirked as she walked off. _That was magical skills._ August adjusted her hold on the bag and walked away down the hall.

BBBBBBBBBB

The Metro was fun to ride on, but when August got off, she sighed. It was pouring rain, and the wind was coming in huge gusts. August had already taken her parents' numbers out of her phone and blocked them from calling her, so she wouldn't have any trouble from them. _Well, I guess this is how it stops._ August stepped out of the shelter and into the heavy rain. She winced as the pounding drops hit the cuts that went down her arms in jagged lines. She should have put on a jacket.

August walked along the sidewalk through the slippery rain. Her bags were heavy and her leg hurt. The bruise on her thigh was extremely painful, and August limped along in misery. But anything was better than staying with her abusive mother and lazy father who did nothing to protect her.

Since August's return from DC over break last year, her mother had become increasingly mean to her. No matter what August said, she got yelled at for being too loud. Then one day, her mother hit her. August's mother had never been particularly gentle. She would give spankings like no one else, but she was never that abusive. And then August got back from DC, and her mom started beating her.

August quickly learned that if she fought back, she got in even more trouble, and when her mom had a knife and she had nothing, it made it extremely hard to fight. August sighed and kept walking.

After 20 minutes, August was hopelessly lost and hopelessly soaked. She pulled out her cell phone to call Angela, but the battery was dead.

"ERRRRGGGG!" August yelled. She sat down on the edge of the sidewalk and huffed. Suddenly, a huge SUV drove past her and showered her in even more water.

"What the heck?" August yelled at the car. She didn't cry. She wouldn't cry. But she was just about to.

"God damn it," August muttered, but then laughed. "I mean, Allah damn it." She smirked at the reference to Achmed the Dead Terrorist by Jeff Dunham. That had to be the funniest show ever.

The SUV had turned around, and now it drove back towards August. She squinted at it, wondering why it was coming back. And then it stopped, and someone got out….

"August?" The person asked. She walked towards August. "Is it really you?"

"Brennan!" August yelled. Brennan ran up to her and gave her a huge hug.

"August! Why are you here? Why are you so wet?"

"I've been walking forever. It's a pretty long story."

"Well, get in. Booth and I were on our way back to his apartment, actually. Come with us. You can take a nice hot shower and then explain."

"Thanks," August said, teeth chattering. She climbed into the SUV.

"Hey Booth. What's up?"

"I think the question is what's up with you?"

"Oh, just running away."

"Why?" Booth and Brennan asked in unison. Slowly, shocking both Booth and Brennan, August turned around pulled up her shirt, revealing 3 long, jagged knife wounds running down her back.

**A/N: So there's the first chapter! Remember to tell me what you think and if there should be some August/OC romance in it or not. Thanks guys!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A/N: OMG so sorry it took soooo long for me to update. I really want this story to be good, but I need inspiration, and I didn't get any until this morning. Hopefully you guys like this chapter. It's short and a bit rough, so definitely not my favorite. Remember to vote for August OC romance or not! Now onto the chapter!**

August limped into Booth's apartment and immediately smirked. Brennan clearly lived with Booth now. There were several pictures of them together at the park, the beach, and working on a case at the lab. There were pictures of Angela and Hodgins, Booth's mom and dad, and Parker. But what surprised August the most was that there was a picture of her singing at the party sitting on one of the bookshelves. August smiled.

"That's a good picture of you," Booth said. August looked up at him and smiled. "Go take a shower. You must be freezing."

"I've been in colder," August replied, smirking at the line she'd said the last time she was standing in the same spot. When no one smiled back, she shrugged and walked into the bathroom. Once the door was closed, Brennan walked into the kitchen and started making hot chocolate for when August got done in the shower. Booth came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. He sighed.

"What do we do? August just ran away from her parents, who were beating her. Beating her!" Booth said.

"I don't know, Booth." Brennan still referred to him as Booth, even after several months of dating him. "She doesn't really seem all the effected by it. I've seen several cases of this from being in the foster system, and no one was as open about it as she was."

"Maybe she's already through the 5 stages."

"Huh?"

"You know, the 5 stages of grief?" Booth tried. At Brennan's blank look, he sighed and began to explain. "Psychologists have determined that when grieving, people go through 5 stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. But this kind of abuse isn't just grief. It totally ruins lives! She can't just be over it like that!"

"But it hasn't been going on that long. And August has always been stubborn. Most people probably get stuck in depression when they're abused, but I think August probably just skipped that stage, knowing her."

"I suppose." Just then, August walked out of the bathroom. She looked different somehow, but Brennan didn't place it at first. Then,

"You cut your hair!" What was once long red hair was now shoulder length on one side and about mid back length on the other side. It didn't look horrible, but it did look a little weird.

"Yup! Don't you love how uneven it is?" She smiled and walked into the kitchen, where Booth and Brennan were standing as if in shock. "Hello? Earth to Brennan!" Brennan snapped out of it and smiled hesitantly.

"It looks awesome!" Booth exclaimed. August smiled.

"I know, right?" She high fived him and they both laughed. Brennan relaxed and went to get August's hot chocolate. August gulped it down and thanked Brennan.

"I'm tired. Can I go to bed now?" August asked. Booth was about to respond when suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Booth got up and answered it.

"Hi! Here's Parker. I'll see you at my place in a week, ok buddy?" It was Rebecca. Parker ran into the room and smiled at Brennan, who picked the boy up and sat him on her lap. Booth said goodbye to Rebecca and walked back into the kitchen.

"Hi! Hi! Hi! Who are you?" Parker asked August. She laughed.

"I'm August. Didn't I meet you last time I was here?"

"I don't remember! You look sad and nice." August looked taken aback. Parker climbed off of Brennan and onto August. "You look like you need a cookie." He climbed back down and walked around the shocked looking Booth. When Parker couldn't find a cookie, her pulled out a big tub of cookie dough from the fridge.

"Parker, we can make cookies later." Brennan walked towards him to get the cookie dough, but he dashed around her, grabbing a spoon on his way.

"I'm not making cookies, silly! I'm giving August cookies!" He walked over and pulled open the tub. "Here!" He scooped up some cookie dough and held it out to August. She opened her mouth and he stuck it inside. August pulled the spoon out and smiled. She chewed and swallowed happily.

"That was delicious, Parker!" He smiled and fed her more, much to her delight. August loved cookie dough. They laughed as she fed him some on the same spoon, which irritated Brennan.

"If you're going to eat the cookie dough, at least eat it on separate spoons!" But the two were lost in their own world.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short. I hope you liked that little August and Parker interaction! Please review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! OHMYGOSH i'm so sorry it took me so long to update! but i've had tons of work at school. being a freshman is hard work!!! sorry guys. i hope you like this chapter!**

At about 7:30, Booth got Parker in bed. August was sitting on the couch watching The Big Bang Theory, And Brennan was working on her newest novel. Booth walked into the room and motioned to Brennan that he needed to talk to her. They silently left the room, thinking August had no idea of what had gone on, but of course she did.

_Well, if they're going to talk about this whole thing, I'm going to talk to Angela about it._ She picked up her cell phone and dialed.

"Hey August! I haven't talked to you in forever! How are you?"

"Um, I'm fine. I'm actually in DC right now. I'm at Booth's apartment."

"Seriously? Why?"

"Long story."

"I need to hear it!"

"Well I can't exactly talk about it here."

"Sleep over?"

"Come get me?"

"Be there in 5."

August yelled into the empty house, "Booth, Bren, I'm going to Angela's!" She heard a muffled "no" but headed out the door anyway carrying her laptop bag and some money. She'd call when she got to Angela's. Her bag had her pajamas and a shirt in it, and she could just wear the same pants tomorrow.

August walked down to the street and sat on a bench. Angela's car pulled up and August hopped in.

"Did Booth and Brennan say it was ok?" Angela asked when August stepped into the car.

"Yeah, of course," August lied smoothly. Anyway, it wasn't like going to Angela's was going to be dangerous like that stake out from last year.

"So, what's been up with you lately?" Angela asked, sensing something was wrong.

"Ehh, not much. I mean…Well just, I'll tell you when we get to your house. Except it's actually Hodgins, right?"

"Yeah, sweetie. It's Hodgins. Why wait until we get there?"

"Well, he might want to know too."

"Okay…"

"Yeah." The rest of the car ride was filled with random jokes, conversations, and laughter. August was glad to finally be in the presence of someone who didn't know and wasn't a 6 year old. She smiled, and finally relaxed.

BBBBBBBBBB

"August?" Booth and Brennan had discussed the situation and decided that they would have to talk to the FBI about it. "August? Where are you?" Brennan walked out of the kitchen.

"Her stuff is here, but not her laptop bag. I bet she went to Angela's."

"Bones, we told her she couldn't go."

"Booth, did you forget? This is August we're talking about. If it wasn't a problem for her to get away from her parents, why would she do what we say?"

"Well, we aren't beating her!"

"That's not the point. She's probably used to lying and running to get away from her parents. It shouldn't be a problem to do the same to us considering we aren't going to hurt her."

"Damn. Well, I'm calling her." Booth pulled out his phone and dialed August's number.

"Well, that took you longer than I thought," August's voice said.

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have just left after we said you couldn't."

"Well, I wanted to go to Angela's!"

"Yeah, but we didn't want you to."

"Why the heck not?"

"Because. We need to talk to you about this."

"What do we need to talk about?"

"You know!"

"Oh, you mean me sharing a spoon with Parker! Well, I'm sorry I guess."

"No, damn it!"

"You sound like my mother."

"Right. Sorry. Look, just promise you'll be home tomorrow."

"Of course! I'm staying with you I suppose."

"Yeah, you are. Well, have fun at your sleep over."

"I will."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Yeah. Bye." And August hung up.

BBBBBBBB

"Jack, we're home!"

"We're?"

"Yeah, August is here!"

"Hey, how's my favorite princess of the lab?" He hugged Angela and sat down, frowning at the look on August's face.

"Hey, what did I say?" He asked.

"Sorry, just, um, well let me start at the beginning." And August began to tell her story. She told about the beating, the anger, everything. She also revealed that when she told her parents about the princess of the lab thing, they told her it was the stupidest thing they'd ever heard.

Angela was just sitting there in shock by the time August was done. Hodgins stood up and hugged her, but Angela pulled away to hug August.

"Look, guys, it isn't a big deal. I ran away. That's why I'm here. I blocked their numbers in my phone, so I won't have to deal with them at all. Everything will be fine."

"August…"

"Please, can we forget everything that just happened for a while and just relax and dance and watch movies and stuff?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice." So they started a normal sleep over and forgot all about the problems.

**A/N: Alright guys, there's the third chapter. I'll say expect a fourth soonish, but i have no clue for sure. Please review and I'll attempt to update faster!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N: This is short, but it's all I have time for right now. Sorry! I hope I can update again soon. I'm on break for Thanksgiving right now, so expect another chapter soon!**

A man walked along the sidewalk of DC purposefully, even though it was about 2 o'clock in the morning. He ignored everyone in his way, not that there were many, and kept going. He had a mission, and he was going to get it done.

The man walked towards the large house. He peered through the gate surrounding the mansion. There were several lights on, but the man couldn't see inside. He walked around the perimeter to the back of the house, where he could see more clearly. The bushes were thicker here, but the man squeezed himself behind them so he was pressed into the large fence.

He could now see into a couple windows. The kitchen light was on, and a curly haired man was pulling something out of what looked to be a refrigerator. The man turned and walked out of the kitchen.

The man appeared in the room next door, where two women were dancing crazily. The man sat down on the couch and set what he was carrying down on a table. The women stopped dancing and grabbed the items the man had been carrying. When they held the objects to their lips, the man watching assumed they were beverages.

The women put down the drinks and sat down on the ground. The watching man couldn't see them anymore. The man inside stood up and walked past another window. He reappeared a few minutes later. The man turned out the lights, and a bluish glow flickered over the people. The watching man figured they were watching a movie.

The man outside pulled away from the fence, fought his way out of the bushes, and walked off. He wandered around the mansion, scoping out the fences and other security measures that were around. Eventually, he walked away into the darkness.

BBBBBBBBBB

August sighed. She felt relaxed and happy for the first time in a while. Hodgins was sitting on the couch holding a soda, and she and Angela were on their sleeping bags on the floor. They were watching Talladega Nights, which had to be the funniest movie August had ever seen.

"Dear Sweet Baby Jesus, or as our brothers in the South like to call you, Jesus…." He pronounced the second Jesus as Hey-zeus, which of course sent Angela, August, and Hodgins into another laughing fit. They were having a blast, and August felt pretty normal again.

The movie ended, but Angela, Hodgins, and August were all fast asleep. August's phone rang a few hours later, waking them all.

"Hello?" August said into the phone.

"August? We're outside." Booth's voice said.

"Awww. Well then I guess I'll be out soon."

"Ok." August shut the phone and grabbed all her stuff. "Well, thanks guys. I had tons of fun. But I have to go now."

"Alright, Sweetie. I'll see you later, ok?" Angela asked.

"Yeah. Soon. Definitely." August replied she hugged Angela, and, after a moment's hesitation, wrapped her arms around Hodgins too, stunning him. He smiled and hugged August back. August released him and they all walked to the door.

"Bye!" Angela and Hodgins yelled.

"Bye," August replied. She walked out of the house and climbed into the SUV. August greeted Booth and Brennan.

"Well we were going to go to the lab, but you're in your pajamas," Booth stated.

"Sorry. Your phone call woke us up."

"It's noon! What time did you go to bed?"

"I don't know, like 4 am or so."

"I thought you couldn't sleep past 8!"

"Well apparently I can because I did."

"Well I'll take you home then."

Brennan broke in. "But I have to get to the lab!"

"Booth, you should drop her off at the lab. We can go back to your apartment, I can shower, and then we can head back to the lab," August suggested.

"Ok then. Sounds good." Booth dropped Brennan off at the lab, and then headed back to his aparment.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I won't ask for reviews because that sometimes bugs me, but I'd like feedback if you guys don't mind :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm back, and I'm finally over my horrible writer's block!!! Which means more updates!!! Here's chapter 5. Hope you like it!**

Chapter 5

August entered Booth's apartment and headed straight for the shower. She turned it on as hot as possible, stripped out of her pajamas, and jumped in. She yelped at how hot the water was.

"Crap! Wow, August, nice work. You turned the shower on as hot as possible. Nice job," she grumbled to herself. She quickly turned the cold water on and sighed as the water reached a more bearable temperature. The hot water pounded against the long cuts that adorned her back, arms, and legs, but it felt good. August had long ago learned to tolerate that pain.

After about 15 minutes, August got out of the shower and toweled herself off. She was thinking a change in hair color was in order. "I'll ask Booth later today," she murmured to herself as she got dressed. She combed out her hair, brushed her teeth, and put on some eyeliner and mascara.

As she walked down the hall towards the kitchen, she heard Parker talking animatedly to Booth. She sat down at the table and waited for Parker to stop talking. Suddenly, he noticed August and stopped talking right away.

"August!!!! You're 'wake!!!" He ran over and hugged her. Although bewildered, August wrapped her arms around the little boy and smiled. He then started his whole story all over so that August could hear it.

Booth set their lunches – ham sandwiches – down on the table.

"So August, what do you have planned for today?" Booth asked.

"I don't know. I'm thinking about dying my hair."

"Why? It's so pretty the way it is!" Parker said.

"I just need a change. I'm thinking ash brown."

"But August! I like your hair!" Parker exclaimed in protest.

"But Parker, wouldn't you like it if it was brown? It would still have the same style, but it would be different."

"Well, I guess if you want it that way. But if it doesn't work, don't blame me!" Parker grinned, and August laughed. Booth was sitting across the table, amazed at how well August and Parker got along even though they'd only known each other for a day.

"Booth, can I take Parker to the swimming pool today? I'm going to show him how to dive off a diving board. You could just head to the lab," August said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Well, I suppose you could, but I want to watch."

"But you have to be at the lab!" August exclaimed.

"That's okay. I'll call and tell them I can't make it for a couple hours. I'm sure they won't mind."

"Yes!" August and Parker yelled at the same time. They each ran out of the room to get their bathing suits.

BBBBBBBBB

August wore a navy blue Speedo suit that was high in the back to hide the cuts. Parker wore his swim trunks. They headed to the car, and drove to the pool.

When they arrived at the pool, August and Parker ran inside, which left Booth in the foyer to pay. By the time he got inside, August was already climbing the low diving board to show Parker the dive. Booth walked over and he and Parker watched as August walked to the end of the board. She bounced a few times, then walked back to the middle of the board and turned a wheel with her foot. She went back to the end of the board, bounced again, and then turned around and stood with her heels off the end of the board. She raised her arms in the air, bounced the board just a bit, pulled her arms down, and threw herself up into the air. She then tucked her legs, threw her arms down, and opened up. She went into the water head first, in an inward dive.

"Wow! I wanna do that!" Parker ran up to the end of the board, turned backwards, and was just about to try when August said,

"Wait! Parker, you can't just get up and try that dive!" He gave her a pleading look, but, much to Booth's relief, August was adamant.

"You need to learn just a normal dive first." August showed him how to dive in a normal dive, then how to jump off backwards, and how to move his arms. Finally, after about 45 minutes, Parker decided he wanted to do the dive. He went to the end of the board, moved his arms in a circle, and –

SPLASH! Parker belly flopped painfully. He climbed out of the water and ran over towards where August and Booth were standing. Booth held out his arms to hug him, but Parker ran towards August and hugged her instead. Booth was surprised at this, but he didn't say anything.

"'Gust I hurt!!!!" He sobbed into her arms. August just held onto him and stroked his back. After about 10 minutes Parker pulled away.

"Can I try again?" August laughed and told him to go for it. They spent another hour or so at the pool, and Parker finally did the dive semi-right. They drove home talking animatedly about how amazingly Parker did. He was grinning ear to ear.

Suddenly, Booth's cell phone rang. "Booth," he said into the receiver. He visibly paled, then said, "I have to drop Parker and August off, but then I'll be right over." He hung up.

"What's happening?" August asked.

"Angela's gone. I'm dropping you guys off at home, then I have to head to the lab."

"What do you mean Angela's gone? Like k-i-d-n-a-p-p-e-d?" August spelled, making sure Parker didn't know what she was talking about. He sat there puzzling over it, but didn't seem to understand what she meant.

"Yeah. Like that."

**A/N: if you don't know what an inward dive tuck looks like, go look it up. They're really cool and fun to do (I'm a diver, that's how I know). Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**A/N: I am so sorry it took me this long to update, but I'm back from a horrible case of writers block. Now that Bones is starting up again soon, I have a much better inspiration to finish this!**

They drove to the lab in relative silence. Booth wanted to drop August and Parker off at his apartment, but August wouldn't tolerate being left out of the hunt for Angela. Since Booth couldn't leave Parker alone, he had to take both children with him.

"I'm hungry!" Parker whined.

"You can have something out of the vending machine when we get there," August said, hoping to shut Parker up. He had been whining about his hunger for the entire ride, and August and Booth were sick of it.

August stared out the window of the car, wondering what would happen with Angela. Would it be like when Brennan was captured, and there were clues to point them in the right direction? Or would she just disappear without a trace? What would Hodgins do?

They pulled up to the lab, and August and Parker jumped out. Parker seemed to have forgotten how hungry he was because now he was jumping up and down, chanting, "We get to see Doctor Bones! We get to see Doctor Bones!" August half smiled at him, but the situation was still grim.

As the three entered the lab, Brennan came rushing up to them. Booth caught her in his arms, and she grasped onto him as hard as she could.

"Bones! Are you okay?" Booth asked.

Bones pulled away and murmured, "Yes, I suppose, but Hodgins isn't." Booth nodded in understanding. He knew exactly how Hodgins must feel from when Brennan was kidnapped.

"August, I have a comb in my office if you'd like to use one," Brennan said to August, who was trying to comb her hair out with her fingers. August nodded and walked off to Brennan's office.

"Parker, why don't you go with her," Booth said, and Parker scurried off after her.

"Are you sure you're alright," Booth asked Brennan.

"Yes, I'm sure," Brennan said. Booth looked skeptical. "Well, I am sad, but I'll be okay. But right now that's not important. We have to find her before Hodgins does something stupid. He's been worried ill all day."

"Actually, it's usually worried sick," Booth remarked, but, unlike other times, there was no humor in his voice.

BBBBBBBBBB

August combed her hair and then bought Parker some Doritos from the vending machine. The two were now wandering around the lab looking for everyone. Booth and Brennan were still standing in the hall hugging, so Parker and August decided not to disturb them. The two searched for Hodgins, but couldn't find him anywhere, and they didn't really care about seeing Cam.

"Damn," August muttered.

"You said a bad word," Parker scolded, and the two began to laugh. It was short lived, however, when Booth and Brennan suddenly came around the corner.

"August, don't say bad words around my son," Booth reprimanded, and August looked at the floor trying not to smirk.

"'Gust, why are you mad?" Parker asked, and August smiled.

"Well, I couldn't find anyone to talk to. All the interesting people are… um… not here."

"Who?"

"Angela and Hodgins," she replied.

"Where are they?"

A 'crap' look flashed across Booth's face, and he shook his head vigorously at August, who rolled her eyes, signaling that she wasn't stupid enough to actually reveal anything to Parker. Instead, she simply said, "I don't know, but they aren't here right now." When Parker nodded, Booth let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Parker, do you want to go home?" August asked. He thought about it for a couple seconds, then nodded.

"August, I can't take Parker home right now," Booth said.

"Well, see, there's this thing called walking, and it's where you pick up one foot-"

"August," Booth warned. August stopped and smirked.

"So can I take him home?"

"It's too far to walk."

"Well, see, there's this other thing, called the Metro, which is this underground train-"

"I know what a Metro is!"

"So can we leave now?"

"Ugh, fine, but if anything happens to my child, you are never going to walk again. Here's a key to my place," Booth said. August smirked.

"If I remember correctly, there's a key beneath a fake rock outside the door," August said, and she and Parker walked away.

"Booth, do you really think that was a good idea, letting them leave alone? What if they get kidnapped too?"

"Damn it! You're right. But, well, I trust August. After what happened last time, well, she puts up a pretty good fight."

"Alright. And we need to start the search for Angela anyway." The two walked to the platform and began working.

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"'Gust, why do we have to be so careful?" Parker asked. August had made sure they were always near a large crowd of people to try and make sure they wouldn't get kidnapped, and so far, it had worked. However, when the Metro came, only a few people sat in each car, and August decided they should wait out side for a different train. They sat on a bench outside the station, looking at birds and squirrels.

"Well, you see, I just don't want anything – er – bad to happen, so we need to stay around lots of people." Just then, a heavyset man with a long beard walked up to the bench and knelt down by Parker. He was wearing a large hat and sunglasses, and most of his face was covered up. August's eyes narrowed as the man spoke.

"What's your name, son?" August, whose arm was resting behind Parker on the bench, pinched his neck, and he looked up at her, remaining silent.

"His name is Chris," August said, and the man turned his attention to her.

"What's your name, then?" The man asked.

August said, "Kelsey. I'm his cousin." There was something oddly familiar about the man, as if she knew him. "Listen, we're waiting for the Metro, so we need to go," she said, and stood up. "Come on, Chris," and she pulled Parker along. They hurried down the stairs to the Metro station and sat down once they were in the safety of a family bathroom.

"Why did that man talk to us? And why did you tell him the wrong names?" Parker asked.

"Shhh, he could be outside the door," August said in a whisper. Parker nodded, and August smirked a bit.

"So why did you tell him the wrong names?" Parker whispered.

"Well, I didn't want him to know who we are. I mean, he could be working undercover for the CIA, and it would be pretty bad if he caught us taking the Metro alone."

"But I thought you told him you were waiting for the Metro," Parker said, confused.

"Well, yes, but he thinks a boy named Chris and a girl named Kelsey are taking it, not a boy named Parker and a girl named August." Parker nodded his understanding, and August stood up.

"Well, we oughta go outside now." August pulled on the door handle and pulled it open a bit. The man was no where in sight. She and Parker walked out of the bathroom and waited about two more minutes. A train came, this one with a lot of people, so August and Parker boarded with a lot of other people and rode the train back near Booth's apartment. They walked the rest of the distance to the apartment, picked up the key from the fake rock, and let themselves in. August locked the door once they were inside, and then she went to take a nice, long shower.

**A/N: Review please =] I hope there are still readers out there!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey! Look! A new chapter already =] hope you enjoy!**

"Oh, fudge," August muttered to herself. She should have called Booth the minute she and Parker walked in the door, but no. She'd forgotten. August hurriedly finished showering, jumped out of the shower, dried off, pulled her clothes on, and combed her hair. She ran to the phone to call Booth.

"Booth," Booth said.

"It's August. We're home."

"Oh, good. Did you lock the door?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. Don't answer the phone or the door unless it's Bones, me, Hodgins, Cam, or Sweets, ok?"

"Alright." Just then, the sound of a window shutting echoed through the apartment.

"What was that?" Booth asked.

"Probably just Parker." But Parker came running out of the kitchen and clung on to August.

"What's the matter, Parker?" August asked him.

"Shhhh! There's a man in the apartment!"

"Holy crap. Ok, Parker we're going into Booth's bedroom." They ran into the bedroom and shut and locked the door, ignoring Booth's frantic cries through the phone.

"Did he see you Parker?"

"No, I don't think so. He was carrying a gun." Finally, August put her ear back to the cell phone.

"Booth, you need to get here ASAP. There's a man with a gun in the apartment."

"Alright August, I'm on my way. Hide in the closet. There's tons of junk in there to hide behind."

"Ok. See you soon," August said. She hung up.

"Come on Parker!" August grabbed his hand, and the two ran to the closet. They dove inside as the handle to the bedroom was jiggling. Parker dug his way underneath a beanbag chair, and August squeezed behind some suitcases and clothes. The door was shut. But just then, it creaked open.

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Booth sped home as fast as he could. The siren was on, of course, and Brennan was riding next to Booth telling him to stay calm, but Booth was anything but calm.

"Bones, there's a man with a gun going after my children!"

"Your children? August isn't your child!"

"Well, you know what I meant. And anyway, it's my fault they're even at the apartment alone. If either of them dies, I'm to blame!"

"Booth, you can't blame yourself for something you have no control over!"

"Well I can't let them die." Booth sped up. Finally, after about 5 minutes, they had jumped out of the car and were running up the sidewalk to get to Booth's apartment. They finally reached his apartment, and Booth unlocked the door quietly.

"Bones, get behind me," he muttered. She did as she was told for once, and the two snuck into the apartment. There was an open window in the kitchen, and a slight breeze was blowing across the room. It was eerily silent.

Booth checked every room quickly, but no one was there. That left only the bedroom. Booth slowly pushed open the door and snuck inside. The closet door was closed, the window was closed… in fact, it looked like no one had been in the apartment at all. Booth narrowed his eyes and went to the closet door. He pulled it open.

No one was inside.

"August, Parker, are you in the closet?" Booth asked.

Nothing.

But then, a muffled "Oof!" Came from inside, and Booth smiled in relief. August pulled herself out of a suitcase, and Parker stood up from under the bean bag. August hugged Booth, then Brennan, and Parker did the same.

"Are you guys ok?" Booth asked.

"Yeah," they replied.

"I don't see anyone here."

"They left, I guess. One minute. Let me go put on makeup, then we'll tell you the whole story." August ran off to the bathroom, put on eyeliner and mascara, then ran back into the bathroom. Seeing no one, she darted to the kitchen. Parker had already begun the story.

"So then we hid in the bathroom of the Metro and we talked a bit then we went out and got on a train and came close to here. 'Gust, you tell the rest," Parker said.

"Ok. So, after that we got here with no problem, got inside, and I went to take a shower. I took my shower and realized I should call you. So I did, but then Parker said there was a man with a gun in the apartment, but he hadn't seen Parker. So we ran to the bedroom and locked the door. Well then we went in the closet, like you said, and hid. Right then, the door to the bedroom jiggled, and we freaked out and shut the closet door. We hid for about 5 minutes, then the closet door opened. I couldn't really tell though because I was in a suitcase, but I know the door opened. I heard it and light came in. Parker and I held our breath a while, then finally the door closed. But we didn't dare move. And then you came along, and we got out."

"Wow," Booth said.

"Well, can you describe what the man looked like, Parker?" Brennan asked. Parker shook his head and explained that the man was wearing a big black face mask. All he could say was the man was not the same man who talked to them at the Metro. This man was skinny and tall.

"Well, you guys are sure you're fine, right?" Booth asked. The two nodded their heads. Brennan's phone rang.

"Brennan," Brennan said.

"Dr. Brennan, it's Cam. We've found some remains. They could be Angela's."

**A/N: Please please review! I know I don't have many readers left with this story, but please let me know what you think!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**A/N: so i had to miss Double Trouble and Fire in the Ice, but I finally saw them and liked them very much =] I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"_Dr. Brennan, it's Cam. We've found some remains. They could be Angela's."_

Brennan gasped but didn't say anything. When it was clear she wasn't going to, August grabbed the phone out of her hand.

"Cam, it's August Sweets. We'll be over right away." August hung up, not leaving any time for Brennan to reply. "Parker, will you go watch cartoons for a while?" August asked, and Parker nodded. He ran off into the other room.

Booth spoke. "What did Cam say?"

"They found some remains that could be Angela's. We've gotta go to the lab now!" Booth nodded forlornly and looked at Brennan.

"Bones?" He asked. She didn't respond. "Bones? Come on, we need to head to the lab right now, and we need you to identify the bones. Please?" But Brennan only stared off into space. Finally, Booth pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She jumped a bit, but stood up and nodded.

The ride was uneventful. No one spoke except Parker, who quickly stopped when he figured out no one was going to talk back. When they got to the lab, Booth and Brennan walked off to talk to Cam. August wanted to go hear what had happened, but she had to watch Parker.

"'Gust?"

"Yeah, Parker?"

"Can I call you Gusty?"

"Sure." Although August didn't particularly like the sound of the nick name, she was too tired – emotionally and physically – to argue with the six year old.

"Gusty?"

"Yeah."

"Can I get a soda?"

"Sure. Come on, Parks." They walked over to the vending machine and August bought Parker a 7UP even though he insisted that his dad wouldn't mind him having caffeine. August was glad about her decision when Booth and Brennan walked out of Cam's office.

"Whatever he's drinking, it better be caffeine free," Booth said. August nodded. Booth and Brennan walked over to August.

"I'm guessing you'd like to hear what's going on, right?" Booth asked August.

"Yeah. But if you need me to keep watching Parker, I can wait."

"Why don't you watch Parker for an hour or so and then I can take him home for dinner and bed. Bones can fill you in then."

"Sure." So August and Parker began wandering the lab. They were walking by Hodgins' office when a white sheet of paper inside caught August's eye. She pulled on the door to the office. It was locked. So she knelt down and pulled a bobby pin out of her pocket. After about 3 minutes, the lock finally clicked open, and August pulled the door open. She and Parker stepped inside quietly and August went to grab the paper. Her eyes widened and she sprinted to the platform.

"Bren, Booth! We've gotta get to Hodgins' house NOW!!" Booth and Brennan exchanged confused looks, but after one look at the note, everyone was sprinting to the SUV.

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Angela was in so much pain. It was all she could think about. The pain. And Hodgins. She wanted to see him so bad; she knew all about the planted body that was supposed to be her, and she had a bad feeling that Hodgins would do something stupid about it.

She looked up as her kidnapper walked into the room. He was tall and skinny and never showed his face. Angela shivered in fear as he crossed the room and ran a hand down her face, none too gently. As his hand passed the long cut across her collarbone, she barely concealed her pain. She was trying not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he hurt her, but it wasn't working.

Suddenly a fist smashed into her face. Her head spun and dizziness overcame her. Another blow, and she was out cold. The last thing she remembered before she passed out was whispering, "Jack, save me."

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August banged rapidly on Hodgins' front door. "Hodgins! Hodgins!" There was no answer.

Booth walked up to the door and banged even harder. "Hodgins, come to the door right now!" Still no answer. Booth was about to ram his shoulder into the door to break it down when August stepped up to it and turned the handle. The door opened.

"How'd you know it was open?"

"If you were doing what Hodgins is doing, would you bother locking the door?"

"I guess not."

"Wait. What if it's a trap?"

"I repeat: if you were doing what Hodgins is doing, would you bother locking the door?"

"No, I mean what if the paper was a trap to lure us here."

"It wasn't. It was in Hodgins' handwriting. I'd know how his writing looks from anywhere. It slants way right and is pretty messy. The letters are never connected to each other and he leaves wide spaces between words."

"Ok, ok. Let's just hurry."

The four stepped inside. "Parker, stay right here in the front entrance. Don't touch anything, and keep the door closed and locked. We're just going to go look around," Booth instructed, and Parker nodded. He locked the door and sat down on the expensive looking rug.

"Split up?" August asked. The other two nodded, and the three of them all went off in different directions.

August ran up the stairs to the master bedroom. _This house is freaking huge!_ August thought as she wandered aimlessly through doors and rooms. Finally, she was so lost that she realized she'd need a trail of something if she ever wanted to find her way around. So she grabbed a big glass bowl filled with jelly beans and began setting them down behind her and she found her way through the house.

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Booth was lost. He was sitting in some bathroom that could hold about 30 people at once. There was a huge marble shower and a bath tub big enough for about four people. It even had jets! And this was only a guest bathroom. Booth wondered what the master bathroom looked like.

_If only this damn house wasn't so big._

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Brennan was getting scared. She could swear someone was following her. _Maybe it really is a trap,_ she thought. She heard something move behind her and whirled around. No one was there. She turned back around and kept walking softly. Something shuffled. She whirled back around, ready to fight.

A fan was blowing back and forth across the room, and some papers were fluttering around a bit, causing the noise. Brennan relaxed and turned around. She kept walking and made it through the doorway to the next room. It was a library. There were shelves and shelves of books covering the room. Brennan walked forward to the first rack and stopped. There was a noise behind her. She turned, but didn't see anything.

Brennan walked back to the door and shut it and locked it. She walked through the rest of the library and didn't hear the noise. This didn't calm her. That meant that someone _was _following her and she'd just locked them out.

She hurried to get to the door on the other side of the library. But right as she was about to grab the door handle, it turned.

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August let out a frustrated yell. She was out of jelly beans (she'd eaten a few along the way) and she still hadn't found Hodgins. She set down the glass bowl and sighed. August continued wandering through the house. She reached a door that was locked, pulled out her bobby pin, and began picking the lock. It finally came unlocked, and August turned the handle and opened the door.

It was a library filled with books. She walked into the room and turned. No one, just like all the other rooms. She was almost beginning to wonder if anyone was even in the house. She kneeled down to tie her lime green Converse tighter so she could run faster to get through more rooms. Then something hit the back of her head, and August fell to the ground in pain. She heard footsteps running down a flight of stairs. Suddenly the footsteps were right next to her. Then someone laughed.

August screamed.

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Booth turned and began running towards a long scream. It faded away, and silence replaced the loud noise. Booth kept jogging to where he thought the sound had come from, but he wasn't sure exactly where.

Then he heard laughter.

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Brennan sprinted up the stairs to the second level of the library. The door was just opening, so she ran to the very back of the upstairs area. She grabbed a huge book off of it. She slunk along the rows of books to the balcony, ready to throw the book and hit the intruder. Finally she had a clear shot. The person was kneeling down, so she couldn't see them clearly. All she could see was the top of the person's head. She threw the book and ran down the stairs to get out when she realized that she'd hit August.

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Booth pushed open the door into a huge library. He could hear laughter and ran to where it was coming from.

"August? Bones?" Booth finally found them. The two were sitting on the floor laughing. "What did I miss?" Booth asked.

"Well, I was wandering through the library," Brennan said, "when I thought someone was following me. So I walked up to the door to get out when the handle turned. I ran up the stairs and grabbed a book. I couldn't really see the person in the library with me, so I threw a huge book and hit them. I went down stairs and found August on the floor next to the book."

"Wow," Booth said. He helped Brennan to her feet and hugged her. August stood up and smiled.

"Guys, as nice as this moment is, we need to find Hodgins," August remarked, and the tow pulled away. The trio walked out of the library and down the hall towards the final few rooms they had yet to check. There were three. Each person walked through a different door.

Booth didn't find anything, and neither did Brennan. But both heard August when she yelled, "Booth, Bren, call 911!"

**A/N: So there you have it. kudos to anyone who can guess what happened to hodgins =] please leave me a review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**A/N: sorry it took so long! so who LOVED Hero in the Hold? I did! well, here's the next chapter!**

Angela waited for the man to come back. He certainly wasn't a very good kidnapper; the man had tied her bonds loosely and left the door of her room wide open. It was like he wanted her to escape.

She had easily figured out she was in a high school seeing as outside the janitors closet she was being held in she could see lockers and a door with a label reading _Ms. May, French 1_. The building was empty, but Angela wasn't sure if this was because school was already out or it was just weekend. Either way, Angela wasn't going to have any help getting out.

She carefully worked at her bonds and quickly got them undone. Right as they were about to drop to the floor, the man walked into the room. Angela quickly grasped the ropes, trying to make it look as if she was still tied up.

"I'm leaving. There will be two men standing outside the door with guns in case you try to escape. Since you haven't been very nice during your stay, your boyfriend is going to be killed. I'll see you later."

"What? You can't! Let me out right now!" Angela went on screaming, but the man was already gone. She had to get out.

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The steady beep of the machines in the hospital room had lulled August and Parker asleep a long time ago, and Parker was now fast asleep on August's shoulder. Brennan was asleep on Booth's chest, but Booth was still wide awake. He stared at the bed where Hodgins lay. The cuts had long ago stopped bleeding and he was no longer soaking wet, but the shattered heart the man carried was still evident on his face, which, even in a drug induced sleep, was contorted with pain.

"Agent Booth?" It was the doctor. Her name was doctor…Grant, Graham maybe? Booth couldn't really remember.

"Yeah," Booth said.

"There's a hysterical woman downstairs who claims she knows you," Dr. Grant or Graham said.

"Um, ok, I guess I'll go see her." The doctor nodded and Booth followed her downstairs.

"She's right over there," the doctor said, motioning to a woman who was trying frantically to get out of the hold of two doctors. Blood ran down her arms, tears poured down her cheeks, and she was balanced on one foot. She was screaming. "Booth! Booth! Help!"

Booth gaped. "Angela?"

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Angela had dropped the rope and stood up. She had walked out the door, expecting to see the two guards there weren't any. _Typical,_ Angela thought. She started down the hallway when a gunshot rang out. Ducking down behind a row of lockers, Angela crept along the lockers. She made it to a flight of stairs and started down them when another gunshot sounded. Angela ran down the stairs and through the doors at the end of them. More halls. Angela headed toward the fork at the end of the hall. She turned right and followed the hall to a tile hallway.

There were rows and rows of lockers, another flight of stairs, and a door to a room labeled _Band Room_. Angela pulled on the door and sighed when it didn't open. She ran to the stairs and went up them. There was a big open area at the top, the library on the right, and a hallway labeled _Math_. She headed to the math hallway and saw more stairs. She ran down them, hoping to see an exit. But as she headed down the stairs, all she could think about was the horrible stench. At the bottom of the stairs, at least 30 corpses of high school students lay rotting away.

Angela felt the tears pour down her cheeks. She resisted the urge to throw up and ran back up the stairs sobbing hysterically. Finally, seeing a door, she headed through it and ran down more stairs. There! There was the door! She ran out into the sunlight and began to sprint through the parking lot. Suddenly, a bolt of pain shot through her arms and she stumbled and tripped in a pot hole. Her ankle bent strangely and her arm was bleeding from a bullet hole.

Angela stood up and kept going as best as she could. She limped the entire 3 blocks to the hospital and walked inside. She was quickly bombarded by doctors, but all she could think about was Hodgins. Dead. She needed someone to help her save him. Booth. She started screaming, not realizing that Booth was in the very hospital she stood in.

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Booth rushed over to Angela and picked her up. "Get her a room with her Jack Hodgins," he ordered, and the doctors nodded.

"Sir, we must take her into surgery. Please. You need to reason with her," a doctor said. Booth nodded and looked at Angela.

"Angela. Angela, it's Booth." She looked at him and nodded. "Are you alright?" Angela nodded again.

"Booth, we have to find Hodgins. The kidnapper is going to kill him." Booth furrowed his brow.

"Angela, Hodgins is in the hospital right upstairs."

"No! The kidnapper is going to kill him!"

"Angela, the kidnapper won't find anything at Hodgins' house except a bathtub full of bloody water."

"Huh?"

"Ange, the kidnapper didn't try to kill Hodgins. Hodgins tried to kill himself." Angela's eyes widened before the docors rushed over. A doctor injected something into Angela's arm and she passed out. Then they carted her away to surgery.

Booth just stood there, the horrified, sad expression on Angela's face burned into his mind.

**A/N: there it is. hodgins tried to commit suicide when he found out angela was "dead" but really it was just a trap to lure hodgins away from the lab. i hope you enjoyed! review please!**


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